Quality photography is an investment in the recording of the story of your life.

Family Photography / Senior Portraits

Single Family Photography OptionsMini Session: $250 for 30 minutes (more time if needed). These session are on the location of the clients choosing within the central Flathead Valley. Clients will receive 15 full resolution images with the right to print and use images on social media.I do not sell prints, which means there is no marked up price for printing.These sessions are ideal for someone looking for a few group portraits to document the family.

Story-telling sessions: These are documentary style photo shoots that are not about posed photos, but rather, are scenes from life. They are perfect for events, like birthday parties, or just a quiet evening together in the back yard. These photos are about emotion and engagement, they are real moments that cannot be faked. There are three options:Standard Session: $500 for 1 hour and 30 full resolution digital files.Full Session: $750 for 1-2 hours and 50 full resolution digital files.Extended Session: $1000 for 1-2 hours and 100 full resolution digital files. Also includes a follow-up meeting to choose images and layout for a custom album which I will design.

Reunion/group photo session$500 for up to 5 families combined into various groups. These sessions usually run 45-60 minutes and again come with full resolution images that the client has the right to print and/or share on social media.

Photo orderingI don’t believe in up-selling photo prints. It just feels wrong to me. However, I do see the benefit of offering busy clients an easier way of ordering than having them struggle to figure it out for themselves. Owning the digital files is absolute gold, but if they never get printed… Part of the magic and power and significance of photography is prints. They are supposed to be art pieces that a person looks at and gains pleasure from seeing. On a disk or on a computer, even on social media, they are simply something to scroll past.This is a new service for me. As an introductory price I am offering to do a photo consultation and all sizing, preparations and ordering for $500 plus the cost of the prints and shipping.Clients will have photos they choose from a reputable lab delivered to them along with a receipt for the prints. In the photography business hiding the printing cost is often standard practice. It allows a person to charge $2000 for a canvas print that actually cost $180 to make. Clients will know exactly what the charges are with receipts from the printer included.

Wedding Photography

No two weddings are ever the same. As such, predicting every clients needs is impossible. Below I have set out a few of the basic wedding "packages" that a client can choose from, but ultimately, I would rather someone call me, tell me about their day, their guests, their plans and their specific needs and we can figure something out.

As a rule of thumb I charge $350 per hour for wedding photography. This price includes all the editing which I do myself. One hour of photography usually means 3-4 hours of computer editing time - those hours are included in this rate. The smallest wedding I have ever photographed was just 5 people - the couple, the officiant, the witness, and me at the base of a frozen waterfall. Obviously, the needs on that day are radically different from the needs of massive church wedding. Please feel free to get in touch with the details of your particular wedding day and we can discuss what will work best for you.

Here are a few important basics: All clients receive digital files and have the right to make prints with their preferred vendors (I recommend www.mpix.com) without paying additional marked up prices from the photographer. For more information see the philosophy section of this page. All clients will have access to their digital files within a maximum of two weeks from their wedding date and printed products within four weeks.

$2650 Wedding day photography up to 6 hours. Client will receive 400+ toned and edited digital files via personal website and a Facebook gallery (of 100+ favorites) within two weeks. A set of 4x6 prints will be sent directly to the client within four weeks of the wedding. The high resolution drive will include black and whites of the bride and groom portraits. (For those who prefer to print only the images they choose, 6 hours is $2300)

$3800 Wedding day photography up to 10 hours. Client will receive 500+ toned and edited digital files via personal website within two weeks. A set of 4x6 prints will be sent directly to the client within four weeks of the wedding. The high resolution drive will include black and whites of the bride and groom portraits. Clients will also receive a complimentary engagement photo session (restricted to Flathead Valley or those willing to come here for their engagements).

Additional options

Pre-wedding Dress session — $350 I recently had a bride who loved the canola fields in bloom. But her wedding wasn’t until months later. We met at sunrise for a dress session and then kept the photos private until the day after the wedding. To see the images go here.There was an unexpected benefit to this in terms of social media. So often the first images from a wedding are the amateur shots from cell phones and point-and-shoots. The professional shots the bride paid for take weeks to edit and tone. By photographing her dress before the wedding the day after her wedding there were gorgeous photos of her in her dress, looking her best to put up immediately on facebook.

Engagement session — $350 An engagement session is invaluable for me as your photographer. It lets you get a feel for how I work and it lets me see how you two are on film and in front of a camera.

Wedding day second shooter — $1000 Ever thought of having two pro-level shooters to document your day? Not a photographers friend or spouse. Not a new photographer just wanting to learn. Two professionals. I have the privilege to work with two amazing photographers: Kat Gebauer of Green Kat Photography and Jessica Marie of Lovelight Photography. The three of us have banded together and are willing to work as second shooters for each other. We want to help each other and help our brides. Sometimes there are things that one photographer just can’t get to, or times when you’d really want two angles on a particular view. Those are the times when a second shooter is invaluable.Why the discount: Any photographer will tell you it is more fun to be a second shooter, the responsibility is off your shoulders so you are more free to concentrate on the fun moments and interesting outtakes that you can’t always get when you are doing everything on your own.If you decide to go with this option, the money needs to be paid directly to the photographer.Also, this option is only available when/if the second shooter is available and not already booked for a different wedding.

Trash the dress — $350 I love the idea of a trash the dress session. A photo shoot designed to do all the things you simply cannot do on your wedding day. Jumping in lakes. Crossing rivers. Mud fights. Water skiing. There are so many options for this. And I am up for any of them.

Bride and Groom after the wedding — $350 Northwest Montana is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. Photographing here is a joy. But on a wedding day, sometimes it is too much to try to photograph intimate portraits in the amazing scenery when the light is the very best because there are so many people to visit with and share and celebrate with. With an after the wedding session we can go to your favorite scenic location, when the light is ideal, and there are no crowds anxiously waiting for you.

Surprise Engagement — $450 Want to pop the question in Glacier National Park? Take a look at these.The bride-to-be didn’t notice I was photographing her until several moments into it. If you book a Surprise Engagement with me and then come back for a full wedding I will give you a discount of $350 in the final bill.

Additional information

I am perfectly willing and even eager to travel! There is a $1.00 per mile fee, but no charge for hours. In the past when traveling to weddings the bride and groom have simply booked me at the same hotel they are booking their guests at. And for flying, I provide the airline receipt and ask to be reimbursed the day of the wedding.

What else? I am not sure what other questions you might have. Ask. Ask me anything. Call me up. 406.471.7462. Let’s go grab some coffee and chat. Or you may email me at brendaahearn(at)mac.com I’ll be delighted to hear from you.

All clients have the right to reprint images at their discretion from the printer of their choice. There is no need to purchase marked up prints from the photographer. (For more information see the Philosophy section). However I have started a photo ordering service. (see above, just before the start of the wedding photography section).

One final note: I am proud to be the daughter of a United States Marine (Vietnam War Veteran). For brides or grooms who have served in the military I offer a 30% discounts my very small thank you for your willingness to take on the risks and responsibilities that protect the rest of us. Thank you.